GOVERNMENT CONTROL OVER TEMPLES

The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HRCE) Department website of the Govt. of Tamil Nadu welcomes a visitor with a polite reminder that “the management and control of the temples and the administration of their endowments is one of the primary responsibilities of the State.” Through the HRCE Act of 1951, state governments have appointed managers to the boards of temples in the name of better administration, while mosques and churches are completely autonomous. 

At the outset of the article, titled 'Secular loot and plunder of Hindu temples', O.P. Gupta, a retired IFS officer writes: "The Constitution of India stipulates India to be a secular country, but the government of India and provincial governments under the Congress party, Communist parties or other political parties have been targeting only Hindu temples for government takeover in the name of better management, leaving aside all mosques, gurdwaras and churches.” He has argued against the appointment of non-Hindus and atheists as government nominees on the governing body of any Hindu temple.

“This deprives the Hindu community of their constitutional rights (Articles 25 and 26) to manage their own religious affairs without government interference," he argues. He lists several well-known Hindu temples that are under government control including those at Puri, Tirupati, Guruvayoor, Kashi, Mathura, Ayodhya, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Vaishno Devi, Mumbai (Shree Siddhi Vinayak Temple), Shirdi, Amarnath, Srisailam, Madurai and Rameshwaram

Dr Late Mr. Y Samuel Rajasekhar Reddy (YSE) was a “very devoted Christian”, whose daughter married Anil Kumar, a well known young evangelist. In an Open letter to, YSR of Congress, the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, written by Hindu Jagran Forum (USA) on August 27, 2006 raised questions on the patronizing and penalizing of religions by AP Govt. termed them unconstitutional as follows: a) massive Govt. grants for Churches are brazen State patronage; b) usurpation of temples and demolition of religious infrastructures are penalization and persecution of Hindus; c) jurisdiction of temples should be transferred to a Waqf- like Hindu Board. The claims were not rejected by the State Government.

The Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanam’s commodities contract went to a Christian company by name JRG Wealth Management as reported by the Hindu-Business Line. Chandrababu Naidu, minister of the opposition, ally of BJP, accused YSR of mismanagement of TTD’s affairs and demanded dissolution of the TTD Board. In May 2012, he campaigned that TTD during the Congress regime had declined to such an ‘abysmal level' as to have a “non-believer” like Karunakara Reddy as its Board Chairman and also as how he and other members of the board went on to amass wealth by allegedly selling the darshan tickets in blackmarket.

Stephen Knapp, in his book titled “Crimes Against India: the Need to Protect Its Ancient Vedic Tradition”, writes that only 18% of the revenue of these temples is said to be given back for temple purposes, while the remaining 82% is used for other things by the government at their discretion.

In Karnataka, Udupi Sri Krishna Temple and Gokarna Temple had been handed over to religious mutts by the previous BJP government but the new Congress state government under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s would consider bringing the two temples under the Muzrai Department.

 A writ petition filed by Sri Dayananda Saraswati Swamiji, Sri Paramatmananda Saraswati Swamiji and Sri Vishweswaranand Giriraj Maharaj in the Supreme Court has challenged the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Acts of the respective governments. The petitioners said “even the conduct of religious rites and rituals are completely constricted and regulated by the Executive Officers and by the Trustees appointed by the Government… The temples are thus virtually treated as the personal freedom of political masters.” A Bench of Justices K.S. Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra issued notice after hearing senior counsel and sought the response of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and the Union Territory of Puducherry governments.

During the Nationalist Congress Party regime in Maharashtra, the Bombay High Court set up a three-member committee headed by Justice (retd) V P Tipnis to probe allegation on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Kewal Simlani on misuse of temple funds due to political interference. The probe conducted by the Justice Tipnis committee on disbursal of surplus funds named institutions linked to or directly controlled some former and current ministers. ''The most shocking aspect of the matter is that there is no method or principle followed for particular institutions. The only criteria for selection was recommendation or reference by trustees or the minister or a political heavy-weight, generally belonging to ruling party'' the committee said in the report submitted to the Bombay High Court.

To sum up in words of Stephen Knapp - the Government has usurped the freedom of Hindus to manage their temples, denied their human rights and engaged in continuous discrimination of Hindus.

The article has reliable references which can be made available upon request. 

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